Chaos Under the Birdcage
by imma-crazy
Summary: Through their curiosity, Kat and Claire made their way to Dressrosa. Upon discovering that the country was run by Doflamingo and his family, they thought it was time to liberate the citizens and settle a deeply rooted history between them and the tyrant.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Cake splattered across the ground. The white and green icing had splashed out over the stone, and crumbs speckled the scene of the crime. Claire looked upon the carnage with a horrified look, and her eyes shifted to the perpetrator. Chunks of cake fell from his one hand, and he held a thick sword in the other. He was a foot taller than her, and the scars that graced his face and arms suggested he was more than experienced. Despite the look of this intimidating figure, Claire whispered, "Run. Run as fast as you can."

The man laughed. "Run?" he repeated in a raspy voice. His weight shifted from foot to foot, itching for a fight. "I'm not running away."

The hairs on the back of Claire's neck stood up straight as the woman across from her stood up. Her face was heart-shaped, and her jawline glided smoothly into a rounded chin-a stark contrast to the sharp edges of her jacket collar. Straight bangs cut across her forehead to touch the very tips of her dark eyebrows, but the rest of her hair was pulled back to rest behind her shoulders. Dressed in a casual business suit, she seemed approachable, but the scowl on her face deemed otherwise. Her round, brown eyes were narrowed as her brow knit together. "Do you think this is funny?" she snarled. She pointed to the cake. "I paid ten bellies for that, and I intended to enjoy it as slowly as possible." Her accent causing her T's and R's to roll. She rested her arm on the sword at her side. The blade was too long for her as the tip lay on the ground while she stood.

"That's not my fault you overpaid for a crummy piece of cake," he retaliated. He pressed the tip of his sword against the woman's shoulder. He had never used a sword before. His arms strained to keep it at her shoulder, and veins popped the more time passed. He had no respect for it, either. His hand full of cake was pressed firmly against the hilt, mixing the sugar into the fabric. "Now get me the hell out of here or die!" he screamed. He shot forward.

The woman vaulted back on to her hands and rammed her feet into her opponent's stomach. Pushing off of him, she spun her body around and kicked the side of his face. She rose to her feet as her opponent fell on to his side. "You should just move onto a different opponent," she advised. Her scowl softened into a nonchalant expression. She was in no mood to continue.

The man grit and bore his teeth, turning his pink gums almost white. "Like hell I will!" he boomed. He charged at her once more. The sword dragged along the ground as he moved, and when he approached. he raised it over his head.

Instead of dodging the attack, the woman weaved herself underneath the man's reach and slammed the palm of her hand into the front of his exposed neck. The heavy sword fell from his hands, and he dropped to his knees, clutching his throat. The boots of the marines clattered as they headed for the scene, and they threw a pair of handcuffs onto the man. The highest ranking officer looked to the victor and gave a curt nod. "Thank you, Miss Kat," he said. "We're sorry that we didn't realize he was bothering you sooner."

Kat wrangled her long, black hair to lay over her shoulders. "Don't worry about it," she promised. "Just be careful. I only winded him, so he might still have some fight." The marines bowed to her and left with their new prisoner. She sat back down in her chair and crossed her legs.

"It's quite a shame to see this beautiful country in this state," Claire commented as she leaned onto the table with her elbow. Her eyelids half closed as she began to settle back into the conversation. "Maybe we were wrong in coming here." She sipped at her coffee and then dabbed the missing corner of her mouth with a napkin.

Kat rolled her eyes. "You're the one that wanted to come here," she reminded her. She picked at the dirt under her beige polished nails. "You thought it was high time the young fool that ruled this place should know his place. I remember you saying something about him needing to realize how powerless he was, too." There was a slight lilt to her voice that Claire could never determine to be sarcasm or her accent.

"He needs to be reminded of his place," she answered. Her eyes flicked to the waiter moving towards them. "And he's scared now, so what better time is there to visit?"

The waiter approached their table and placed a fresh piece of cake in front of Kat. He bowed deeply to her, his knees clacking together. "Thank you so much," he said in a shaky voice. "That man had threatened earlier to destroy my cafe, and I hope you accept my thanks. The entire bill is on me."

The two watched him retreat to the safety of the shop. "That was sweet of him," Claire noted. "And most certainly brave. He could have been killed by a stray bullet." Kat nodded, noting to leave a generous tip for him. "Anyways, Doflamingo probably put up the cage to keep anyone of higher rank out."

"Well, he's shit out of luck, then," Kat chuckled. She took a bite of the cake, savoring the sweet taste. "There's already a couple of listed marines in here." A pause. "Maybe we should waltz right up to him now," she suggested.

Claire's gaze raked over the street. Blood covered the cobblestone and the walls of most buildings. Children sobbed over the bodies of their parents, and nameless corpses were strung through the street. The injured clung to their lives in hopes of not becoming one of the casualties. "No." Her lips formed the words softly. "We need to calm everyone down before this gets even worse," she commanded.

As Claire rose from her seat, Kat stuffed the last bits of cake into her mouth and placed the tip on the table. The light shone on the glossy tissue of the scars that took Claire's eye and the beauty of her left side. For a brief moment, she was an angel of war. "We need to keep down the number of casualties as best we can as well as the property damage," she stated.

Kat stood and put her hands into her pocket. "And then?"

"Then we remind Joker of where his place is." She looked to the raised palace that jutted up from the ground. "You head that way, Kat. I'll try and treat the wounded." The two turned on their heels and headed off in their own directions.


	2. Chapter 2

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Chapter 2/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The colosseum used to be the center of Dressrosa. Hundreds upon thousands of people would gather in the stands to watch the fighters and cheer for their favorites. As the legendary hero Kyros' popularity grew, so did the popularity of the colosseum. And in turn, Dressrosa gained the attention of many important figures./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Stepping carefully through the rubble, Kat's memories of the once glorious colosseum crumbled. The high stone walls were now a mere pile of broken stone and iron beams. Steel rods jutted out everywhere, threatening to pull threads from her pants. The great moat around the center ring was just thick mud, and corpses were strewn around the entire place./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"One of the walls was still standing, however. It was tall enough to provide Kat with a lookout spot, but because its surface was flat concrete, it would be a difficult climb. She didn't like to use her powers, but she figured that with no one around, it shouldn't bother her as much./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kat found a steel rod poking out of a stone slab and held it tight. Her arms turned to a shiny gray color all the way up to her elbows-no longer made of flesh and bone. Instead, they were rough, hard steel. They were now much heavier and harder to maneuver, but Kat was able to work around these new limitations. She only need her fingers to act like hooks, anyways./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Moving towards the wall, Kat tried to calculate the most efficient climbing tactic. She wanted to get there as quickly as possible, but she also wanted to conserve energy. Kat approached the wall and hurled her fingers into the concrete. They stuck fast, and she started her climb. She kept a moderate pace throughout./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kat hooked her fingers to the edge of the roof and hoisted herself up. She turned around to be greeted by the ends of gun barrels./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Who are you and what is your objective?" one of the guards demanded. His nose crinkled, and his leathery skin looked as if it would crack in this heat./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The steel began to recede from her arms and return to skin. "Yukimura Hanako, a.k.a. Kopy Kat," she stated. "I'm here to scope out my path to the palace."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The guard retracted from the group, never breaking eye contact with her. "Wait here," he ordered. He quickly returned and dismissed the group. His face had smoothed out now that he was sympathetic. "I apologize for the rude greeting," he said. "We didn't realize who you were."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Is that really you?" Kat lifted her gaze towards the familiar voice. King Riku took some steps towards her, his eyes wide. "Are you really standing in Dressrosa right now? Or is this another one of your doubles?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A titled smile crossed her face. "Of course, it's me," she replied. She moved to him and peered into his face. His hair had grayed, and the creases of his face became deepened by the constant beat of the sun's heat. His stance seemed rickety as well. "You sure have gotten old."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And you've grown up!" he exclaimed. He held his hand slightly above his hip and laughed. "I remember you being this tall the last time I saw you." She now stood just below the middle of his torso./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I haven't grown that much," she replied, her smile fading. Kat was much shorter compared to most other people, sometimes being several feet shorter, since she stood at a few inches above five feet./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm sure that your height didn't impact what you can really do. Am I right?" By the way King Riku smiled, Kat knew what he wanted. The hopeful upturn meant he believed a small chance existed where she could stop the tyrant./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Of course not," she reassured him. "I might have been a pipsqueak at seven, but my lack of height hasn't affected my skill." She shifted her weight onto one foot and crossed her arms./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"King Riku let out a hearty laugh. He gestured to the severely injured man behind him. His dark skin hid the blood smeared across him and black bruises speckled his complexion; he looked pitiful. "This is one of the great heroes of Dressrosa, Usoland," Riku introduced./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kat moved over to stand next to this Usoland. His breathing was shallow due to either cracked or broken ribs, and judging by the awkward angles of his limbs, he had a few broken bones. Yet, through the sweat and the blood that covered him, she recognized who he was. "You're Usopp from the Straw Hat pirates, aren't you?" she inquired./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah," he panted. His eyes fluttered as he tried to hold Kat's gaze./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I'm Kat," she replied. She looked away from him and to the castle. Spotting three figures float towards the giant Pica statue, she asked, "Who are those three and where are they going?" A note of concern hung at the end of her sentence./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""That's Robin, Bartolomeo, and Rebecca," Viola interjected. "There trying to find Lucy."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Kat's eyes moved to the buildings between her and the castle. "Usopp, I'll have my friend come and heal you. I don't know if it'll be soon, but I will give her word about you when I find her," she stated. He gave a short nod./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"King Riku stepped forward. "You're not going alone," he hissed. "We have many capable men here to accompany you. They'll help you and-"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""They'll get in my way." She looked back at the king. Even though her eyes were as dark as mud, they seemed as piercing as the iciest blue. Her body was rigid and her jaw set. "You and I both know what Doflamingo is capable of. If they came along, they would only be fodder for the cattle."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.7999999999999998; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt; text-align: justify;"span style="font-size: 16px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #0d0d0d; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Riku swallowed and nodded. He knew she wasn't one to joke around about enemies like Doflamingo. When she stepped onto the edge of the roof, he watched her push off with a sinking heart./span/p 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Doflamingo's arms crossed over his bare chest, a scowl on his face. His countenance sour and his posture stiff as he stood before Kat. His knees were locked, his shoulders were no longer hunched, and his pink feather cloak seemed taught across his back. Though the critical lines across his face were strung with rage, there was a touch of fear to his expression. "What are you doing here?" he grumbled.

She stood at the foot of the giant Pica statue. Several people were rushing and fighting around them, but those smart enough knew to keep their distance from them. "I wanted to relax a little," she replied. Kat was the near polar opposite of Doflamingo in the way she stood. Her face was soft, her hips were loose, and all her weight was concentrated on one foot. She looked around, examining the blue sky and possible remnants of the peaceful atmosphere. "I wanted to see if Dressrosa was as I remembered it," she explained. "It was a lovely town until you came along and fucked it up."

Doflamingo pointed an accusatory finger at her. "Don't get in my way," he growled.

Kat's weight shifted to balance on both feet, and her eyebrows knitted together. "Don't think that you can just order me around," she retaliated. She took a couple steps forward. She started to remember how much taller he is as his towering figure began to loom over her. To look up at his face, she had to hold her head back in an uncomfortable position. "If you think you can scare me, you're dead wrong," she hissed.

Doflamingo stumbled back a few steps, readying himself for a possible strike. He knew that the woman before him was dangerous even though she seemed as fragile as a porcelain doll. However, he also knew she hated fighting and that made her threat as empty as a vacuum. But she was well known for her quick thinking and ferociousness in battle, so he wanted to make sure that he didn't underestimate her.

"Stay out of my fights," he snarled. With a wisp of wind, his body turned to thread and floated to the top of the platform.

Once Doflamingo was gone, Kat pulled her long, black hair into a messy bun at the top of her head and then turned her attention to the statue. The easiest point of access was the arm as it had fused with the ground. She started to trek up the steep slope. "Hey! Move out of the way!" a voice called. She looked back to see a large bull charging towards her. Atop of the bull was the infamous Straw Hat Luffy and the Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law. She stepped aside and watched them rush past her.

Kat shook her head and continued up the arm. The rookie pirates-or rather pirates in general-baffled her. They were reckless and had no sense of compassion for people outside their crew. Their value of human life was skewed, and they had almost no understanding of how authority works.

As she approached the shoulder of the statue, two figures began to come into view. She squinted her eyes against the sun. By the size and distinct shape of the one figure, Pica was present, but his opponent was a mystery. All she could see was the silhouette moving around in a flurry.

As she neared, Pica glanced in her direction and scowled. His body turned ashen gray and began to return to the statue. The stone began to crawl up his figure and build upon him, molding another enormous torso. The other swordsman pushed off the newly forming Pica and fell towards the upper levels of the castle. Kat rushed over to strike Pica from behind. Just as she was approaching the base of the new mold, a crack ran up Pica's arm and split him in half. The top portion fell to the ground and crushed a few people underneath it.

"It's the 'Pirate Hunter!'" a guard shouted. "Shoot him down!" At the command, shots rang through the air. Pica glided through the stone between them and pushed them aside.

"He's one hell of an idiot," Kat breathed, sliding down the back of the statue. She pushed off and landed gently on the second level. Nearby guards looked at her and whispered between themselves. Instead of standing around to listen and see what they were about to do, she walked right through them.

"Wait a minute!" one of the men shouted. He shakily pointed his gun at Kat. "Don't move any further!"

She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I would suggest that you run away from here," she told him. "Working for Doflamingo will simply get you killed. You're a pawn to him."

The grip on his gun tightened. Pebbles on the ground began to shake. "Don't you dare say that about the young master!" he screamed. "He's much more than what you think!"

"That's what he wants you to think," she commented. Over the guard's shoulder, Pica's face formed in the wall to the third level. Out of the ground, several stone spikes shot upwards. One bursted between Kat and the group of guards, catching her right arm. She cupped the new wound gently and rushed towards the Pirate Hunter.

The wound to her shoulder, even though it was only slight, seemed to have taken all the speed and strength she had. She was unable to help the giant that blocked the swordsman from Machvise. She was unable to help the others that were caught in the crossfire. She was unable to shield the swordsman from Pica's other attacks.

By the time that she reached a distance in which she could converse with the swordsman, Kat could tell his energy had greatly decreased. "Swordsman," she called. She was on a lower fixture than he was and had to stretch her neck to look up at him. "I assume that you are against Doflamingo since you're fighting Pica. Right?"

He moved his body slightly towards Kat, acknowledging her presence but keeping most of his attention on Pica. "So what?" he spat. "If you're going to attack me, don't even bother. I'll cut you down real quick."

Kat climbed up to stand next to him. "I've come to help. It seems as if we have a common enemy."

The swordsman's grip on his swords tightened. "You'll get in my way," he told her.

She studied him from her short stature. "If anything, I'll help you finish this in half the time," she retorted.

As they turned to Pica's stone face, he laughed. "I was hoping I could draw you out," he admitted in his squeaky, high-pitched voice. His lips curled into a smile, and the corners of his stone mouth cracked. "Have you come here for a second taste of defeat, pussy Kat?"

She rolled her eyes and faced the green-haired swordsman. "Do you have a plan?"

"Not really." The tip of his nose twitched. "Well, I can take him on. Just keep his attacks from hitting me, okay?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "That isn't a plan, Pirate Hunter," she told him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and pulled his head down to her height. Cupping her hand over her mouth, she began to whisper.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Metal screeches sang through the air. Pica held his sword firmly pressed to the three Zoro held up in defense. Pica's torso had emerged from a spike he created. He had emerged in hopes to catch the swordsman off guard. However, he lost track of Kat-a potentially fatal flaw, he knew. He wanted to disable Zoro and then return to the stone as soon as possible.

The ground beneath Zoro's feet began to crack under the combined weight and force, and he began to strain under the pressure. Pica knew he would have him soon and thus pressed further to the ground.

And then there was a release. Pica was no longer attached to the stone. Now, he floated in the air, weighed down by the top of the spike. A hand wrapped around his wrist and hurled him towards the sky. His eyes graced Kat's stern expression.

Kat hopped into the air and drove her knee into his stomach. A ripple shot down his spine, and he was unable to collect his breath. Zoro then stepped in and sliced at Pica. The stone man was able to parry the attacks weakly, but he was more worried about what Kat was going to do next.

As she readied another attack, Kat's foot slipped, and she slid towards the ground. Pica returned to the ground and was absorbed in the stone. Kat cursed herself and looked at her shoulder. She pushed the opening of her suit jacket back and examined the wound. She underestimated how deep it was, for the wound wasn't a little scratch: it was a long gash in her upper arm that screamed in pain.

Zoro landed next to her and frowned at the wound. "You okay?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted together. She was relieved he wasn't upset at the failure of the plan on her part.

"I'm fine," she replied, breathless. She handed her jacket to him. "Wrap this around it." He complied, and the fabric dug into her skin. They looked for Pica, but he was completely gone. "Where the hell did he go?" she growled. Kat was glad to have a respite from fighting, but she was worried Pica was stirring up trouble elsewhere.

"We should split up," Zoro suggested. He started to head off to the north.

"I'll let you know if I see him," she called and walked to the south. She kept a vigilant eye out for anything that moved differently in the surrounding chaos, but as she got closer to a larger group of people, she found no sign of Pica. In the meantime, the blood loss was starting to drain her of all her energy.

"Kat! Is that you?"

She straightened at the mention of her name. A thin woman in a maid's outfit rushed over to Kat and hugged her tightly. "Baby 5," Kat greeted. "It's great to see you." Kat stepped back from the embrace. "I'm guessing we're on good terms now?" Before the creation of the recent top 200 list, the Donquixote family and Kat had almost familial relations. But when Doflamingo found that Kat had made it into the top fifty, and he was ranked at a mere 117, he desperately tried to find some way to push her out of the ranks.

"I was only being so mean because Doflamingo told me to," Baby 5 explained with an exasperated smile. "But I don't have to anymore because now I have a husband." A long-faced man approached from behind her. His frilled collar was almost as wide as his shoulders.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't put your blind faith into everyone that compliments you," she warned. "It could get you killed."

The man behind her tensed, and his long mouth formed a tight, straight line. "I'm doing things differently now," Baby 5 stated. She grabbed the man's arm. "I'm with Sai now, not the young master."

"Fine," Kat sighed. She wasn't thrilled that her friend wouldn't change the way in which she trusted people, but at least she was no longer associated with such an abusive man. "Have either of you seen Pica?" she asked.

They both shook their heads. "We can help look," Sai offered.

"Thank you. Both of you." The three parted ways. Kat was unsure of how she felt about Baby 5's new husband, but he seemed like he wouldn't mistreat her. Kat knew what the "13" tattooed on his side meant, though: he was the thirteenth leader of the Happo Navy. Even though they were greatly organized, they were still a pirate group. Then again, Baby 5 was a pirate. Maybe they would be a good match for one another, Kat figured.

The ground began to shake underneath Kat's feet, and a line of Pica's spikes rapidly trailed down from the highest level towards Baby 5's group. The spikes crashed through both the fallen and Doflamingo's army, creating heavy casualties on both side. "That bastard," Kat cursed.

Pica's head formed at the top of one spike. "So you've betrayed us, Baby 5." His high-pitched squeal was menacing and no longer funny. Two spiked walls erupted from the ground and started to close around Baby 5. Sai pushed her out of the way, taking the brunt of the force with his armament haki. Another spike ran through their group and threw everyone several feet apart.

"You're a real tough guy, dick wad! Going after the weak and wounded!" Zoro shouted. She looked over and spotted him several hundred feet away. He stood closer to the wall than she, and though she could see no visible wounds, he was panting much harder than before.

Pica's face slowly began to take shape in the wall next to him. "Hey, Zoro." His jaw opened wide, extending long past a human's limits, and he aimed to chomp the swordsman right in half. "Bite stone!"

With one of his three swords, Zoro sliced Pica's stone head right in half. The eye of one half went blank, drained of life, but the other remained vigilant. The dead half fell to the ground and crumpled, but the living half continued to slither out of the stone. "Just who do you think is on the old royal plateau?" Pica asked.

Kat started to run towards the fight. If she intervened now, she could save several minutes of more conflict. "The king of this country," Zoro shouted in response.

"The former king," Pica corrected. "He's surrounded by all the important people of his old kingdom as well as God Usopp and the samurai." A sly smile played on his face as Zoro sliced at the new stone he was creating. "What's more, it seems the people of this country are hoping for him to reclaim the throne."

"And why are you telling me this?"

"Don't they just piss you off?" Pica spat. "The king of this country is Doffy." Pica slunk back into the stone and disappeared. The atmosphere calmed until the ground began to quiver. The dilapidated Pica statue drew rocks and pebbles towards it in an attempt to restore itself to its former glory.

Kat made it to Zoro's side as he turned around. "I need to move on," she told him breathless. "Can you handle this guy on your own?"

He nodded. "Will you be okay with your arm?"

Kat looked to her wound. The blood had stained the side of her white blouse a dark red, but the bleeding had stopped. "I'll be fine," she replied, stepping towards the palace.

"Then go do what you need to." Kat nodded in return and hurried off.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The third level was a very different story than the second. Here, there were vibrant sunflowers and still air. The atmosphere was uneasy, but it wasn't loud and chaotic where everyone ran around and fought one another.

As Kat made her way across the platform, she tiptoed around the spiked steel balls and directed herself towards the few figures ahead. She kept her eyes moving across the field, for she knew the executive Diamante was stationed here. Feeling as if someone was watching her, Kat peeked over her shoulder. Hands shot out of the ground and took hold of Kat's arms and legs. "Who are you?" a woman called. The others followed her gaze.

"I'm Yukimura Hanako. I don't mean you any harm," Kat called back.

With loud, vibrating wings, a large beetle flew up to her. He landed on her shoulder and crawled across her body. He paused at her swords and then scoffed at their unnecessary length. He flew back to the group and conversed with the dark-haired woman hidden behind the tall sunflowers. The arms that were restraining her retracted from wherever they came from. "Approach slowly," the woman ordered. "No sudden movements, or I break your neck." Kat held her hands in the air and began to make her way over to the group.

Kat eyed up the group. She didn't recognize any of them being from the Donquixote family, and their battered conditions made her write them off as any sort of threat. She bowed her head. "Thank you for not killing me."

The only man of the humans hopped forward. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung agape. "Hanako? Is that you?" he asked.

Kat blinked. She idolized the indestructible gladiator of the Dressrosa colosseum, so she was shocked to see him in such a pitiful state. His skin turned leathery and was ripped across his back and shoulders. His breaths were shallow, and he was clinging to every last bit of air he could get as he hobbled on one leg. "Kyros?" she responded.

He threw his arms around her and squeezed tight. "It's been forever since I've seen you," he remarked. "Is your mother here as well?"

Kat shook her head. While she looked up to him, every gladiator looked up to her mother. Despite lacking emperor's haki, Kat's mother could instantly make everyone fear her by just entering a room. "My mother has important things to attend to with my father," she explained. Her eyes averted to the ground. "He hasn't been doing too well these past few months."

Kyros nodded. "I understand. I'm glad to at least have you here. Will you be fighting Doflamingo?"

"I'll be holding him off until my friend can join me," she stated. "Hopefully I can at least dispel the birdcage or find a way to get the people out of it." She looked back over her shoulder. "Is he at the top of the palace?" she asked.

He nodded. "There's no easy way through the castle anymore, though," he told her. "Most of the staircases just end, and the halls go in endless circles now."

"I could help you to the top." The woman in the black dress smiled. "You could scale the outside wall."

Kat narrowed her gaze at the woman. She couldn't pull her attention from those baby blue eyes and sheer black hair. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"I'm Nico Robin." She bowed her head in greeting.

Kat felt relieved. Her father had told her many times about the Devil Child, but she had always expected some crude and mutilated beast instead of a gorgeous woman. She knew the crew Robin associated with quite well, too. "I'm going to guess that your captain is right in the thick of all this, too," she mused.

"Where else would he be?" The two sauntered towards the palace. When they were a fair distance away from the others, Robin leaned over and asked, "Would you like me to refer to you as Hanako or Kat?"

"Kat, please," she responded. She loved her birth name, but she preferred it only for identification purposes. It was too dangerous of a name to throw around casually, anyways. "So what of those wounds on your back?" she inquired. "Are they real or am I imagining things?"

"They're real, all right." A shiver ran through Robin. "But they're nothing. They don't hurt that much."

Kat removed her suit jacket from her arm and sifted through its pockets. She grabbed a small vial and handed it to Robin. "I use this for emergencies, but I think you should use it," she informed. "It'll stop the bleeding and speed up the production of new blood cells until you're at a stable amount."

Robin took the vial and sipped from it. She handed it back. "Thank you," she breathed. "So why are you here?"

"I came here because I owe a person my life," she explained. "They came here because a seemingly never-ending feud needs to be settled." She worked at the tension in her neck. "How's that pirate alliance going?"

Robin giggled. "According to Traffy-kun, it ended, but Luffy-san said it isn't over until he says it is." The two of them stood at the base of the castle wall. "Will you be all right up there?"

Kat nodded. "I can at least help your captain or hold Doflamingo off until my friend comes." She shrugged and looked to the ground. "By the way, if my friend finds you before she comes here, have her completely heal those wounds of yours," she added.

Forearms started to pop out of the wall and create a staircase up the side. "What does your friend look like?"

Kat gestured to the left side of her face and shoulder. "She has a scar... here. It's long and looks painful."

The female pirate nodded. "That shouldn't be too hard to recognize," she mused.

Kat started up the arm staircase. "Thanks for helping," she called down. "I'll make sure to repay you at a later date." She copied Robin's smile and headed for the top.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As a crowd hovered over her shoulder, Claire examined Usopp's wounds. "You sure took one hell of a beating," she commented. She glided her fingers along a rough bruise, and his dark skin pulled away. "It might take a bit to make you feel better."

"And how long is that going to take?" he asked, struggling to form each word.

"Maybe about fifteen minutes," she guessed. Her eyes moved to his face. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to stand here and monitor you." She picked up a pebble from the ground and curled her fingers around it. "I can give you a supplement that would heal you within an hour," she offered.

Usopp's eyes widened. "You can do that?"

Opening her hand, Claire revealed a round, red pill, no bigger than the size of the pebble. "It won't start to work for about five minutes," she stated. She placed the pill in his hand and pulled out a leather pouch of water. He gratefully accepted the pouch and swallowed the pill. She stood and turned to the rest of the group. "Does anyone else need treatment?"

Zoro stepped forward, his green hair blowing in a small breeze. He had a few scratches and bruises but no major injuries. "There was some girl at the plateau that needs treatment for her arm."

At the edge of Claire's vision, a yellow flash flew across the sky, followed by a red orb. She tilted her head. "What does she look like?"

"Really short," he started. "Black hair. And she's got a long sword at her side."

Claire stared for a moment, collecting her thoughts. Then a smile sprung across her face as a small canary landed on her shoulder. "You must have met my friend," she chimed. "Was she very serious and had on this black pants suit?"

He nodded. "I don't understand how she would be able to fight with that sword, though. It's way too long for her to even pull out of the sheath," he commented.

Claire rubbed the canary's head, and it chirped in delight. "She'll be fine," she responded. Her eyes looked to the sky and spotted a brilliant red vulture so large that it appeared much lower than it actually was. A glistening red orb circled the bird in tight circles on different axes. Claire gestured to the bird. "As long as he isn't flailing, she's still standing," she told him.

Zoro scrunched his brow. "What does the bird have anything to do with that?"

Claire scanned the rest of the group. "Does anyone else need to be treated?" she asked. They looked to one another with questioning glances. There were murmurs through them and a final, small "no" from the back. "Okay," she replied. She turned back to the others, staring at King Riku. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead. I'll be needed very soon."

The king nodded. "We can exchange numbers in case of an emergency," he suggested.

A light shade of blue flashed before her. She blinked, trying to chase away the floating spots. "No, thank you," she said. "I'll know when you need me." She moved towards the edge of the building and stepped onto the ledge. She looked back over her shoulder. "Usopp, please don't try to break another bone." She pushed off before he could respond.

The rubble from crushed and collapsed buildings rushed to the air under Claire's feet, creating a midair pathway for her. She landed gently and continued walking forward, the rubble behind her moving to the front. Her eyes locked on the palace before her.

_Why are you going so slow? Uzuru is up there. We need to move quickly!_ The voice scratched at the back of her head.

"Calm down," Claire said. "Only Doflamingo will be there when we arrive." The canary at her shoulder flew off to join the vulture. "Besides, look at how beautiful it is around here." She turned her head to see the rest of the town. "What a sight."

_It looks terrible. You humans have no concept of artistic architecture._

"Style differs between groups of people," she replied. "Besides, you'll probably destroy all of this when you're done with Uzuru."

_I'll make sure that you at least have a place to stand. Albeit something very bare._

Claire scratched the top of her head. "If you keep doing this, I'll make the trip even longer," she threatened. The itching stopped, and she continued walking.

Once at the palace, Claire didn't interrupt the fight between Doflamingo and Trafalgar Law. Instead, she peeked over the wall and stood on a small jut she created. She saw Law's detached arm lying on the ground, but she wasn't sure if it was real or just another illusion.

_Are your eyes deceiving you again?_

Her eyebrows scrunched together. "I'm not sure," she murmured. She could hardly ever figure out what was reality and what was imagined.

_Where is Trebol? Can you see him?_

Claire's eyes scanned the roof. He was just out of her field of vision, but she recognized the end of his cloak and the trail of mucus. "There he is," she whispered. "Should we go and take him?"

A gunshot ripped through the air. Her gaze snapped back to Law, who was starting to bleed out. He slouched up against the wall and glared up at Doflamingo. The blood coming out of him was a deep red, not some strange color of the rainbow. This was not an illusion. Law's arm was on the ground and detached from his body.

Claire froze. _What are you doing? Start moving!_

Doflamingo lowered himself down to Law's height and pushed the gun into his chest. "You will meet your maker today-an unavoidable wretched death," he stated. "But why not make it a little meaningful? If you perform the 'immortality surgery,' I will grant you any wish."

Law gave a throaty chuckle. "Anything?" he asked, and Doflamingo gave a small nod. "I'm in," he replied. After a small cough, he told his wish: "I want you to bring Corazon back to life. This very moment. And go lick the asshole of every citizen in this poor country." Law flipped up his middle finger and grinned. "You're the one that's in way over your head here, Doflamingo. The Straw Hat crew has left nothing in their wake but sheer miracles. You'll never beat them. You'll never get Caesar back. Your future is the one that-"

The vein in Doflamingo's forehead snapped, and he fired several rounds into Law's chest. Claire ducked down behind the wall and covered her ears. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't keep out the gunshots.

_What are you doing? Get up there and save that boy!_

Tears streamed down Claire's cheeks. She sobbed, "That's my little boy. The poor thing doesn't even know the truth."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

After scaling the castle wall, Kat slunk behind a small pile of rubble without being noticed. Her eyes focused on Doflamingo and Trebol, but she also made sure to keep the Straw Hat captain and the Surgeon of Death in her periphery.

The young captain knelt down next to the surgeon and looked him over. His eyes bulged out of his head, and his entire body trembled. "Traffy is..."

"Dead," Doflamingo finished, a wicked smile playing on his lips. "Isn't it obvious?"

"You're lying!" Straw Hat's jaw tensed, and a searing anger filled his eyes. His hands curled into white-knuckled fists.

Kat readied herself to strike at the remainder of the Donquixote family until the wind blew into her face. The aroma of refined coffee and soft vanilla clung to the air-Claire's scent. It was thick and growing in intensity; she was close. Kat's gaze pulled away from Doffy and scanned the rooftop, mapping her route towards the source. Maybe if she got there, they could devise a stronger plan instead of just charging blindly into the scuffle.

But there was no viable path to take. Of the rubble piled up on the roof, nothing was close enough to move to without being seen. Kat thought about darting around, but these men were sharp, and she wanted to conserve her energy.

"You'll have to excuse me." Doflamingo's low, humming voice purred in his throat. "Apparently, I forgot to mention that the rules of the game have changed."

Straw Hat became irate. His nose flared, and his forehead wrinkled. "Game? What the hell are you talking about?" he snarled. His eyes became fixed on the top executives, jaw clenched.

A grin sprouted upon Doflamingo's face, watered by the young captains seething anger. "You see, the birdcage is, little by little, shrinking and contracting. Like someone slowly closing an umbrella." His back arched, and his face pulled down long shadows over his cheeks. "I'd give it about an hour for this entire country to be filleted."

Kat laughed. She folded her arms on top of the rubble pile and stared down the three of them. Her pale, pink lips curled into a thin smile, hooking upwards sharply at the ends. "You just trapped yourself with that, Doflamingo," she stated.

The vein on his brow popped out of his skin and pulsed to the rhythm of his heart. Both were shocked and angry to see her alive. "What are you doing here?" Doffy growled.

"I won't be stopping you," she affirmed. "I'll be stalling you until someone much more important comes." She sat back on the ledge behind her, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. A massive bearded vulture landed on the ledge next to her and ruffled its brilliant red feathers.

Doffy's forehead vein seemed close to becoming an aneurysm. "Trebol," he snarled. "Take care of the girl."

A voice pulled at the back of Kat's mind. _Miss, please don't interfere with Straw Hat-ya._ As Trebol started towards her, she tilted her head towards the young captain. "You can take care of Doflamingo for now," she appeased. "I'll keep Trebol out of your hair."

The vulture beside her flew back into the air, and Kat rolled out of Trebol's way. She flipped to her feet and faced her new opponent. "You're faster," he commented. "But do you really think speed will stop the Young Master?"

Kat touched her bun. "Like I said before, I'm just here to stall for time," she responded. "Or do you not like that I'm faster than you now?" Trebol's goop surrounded her ankles and slithered up her legs. She lifted her leg, straining against the tension to raise her knee a few inches. Within seconds, Trebol pounced and smothered her in the substance.

The deep vibrations as he laughed reverberated through her, and the thickness of the material made her feel as if she was drowning, but Kat focused on the composition of the substance. She imprinted every last detail of it into her memory, from the slimy texture to the consistency. No longer did she feel imprisoned by the slime. Instead, she flowed freely through it like a fish in a river. She swam to the surface and drew in a quick breath of fresh air.

As Kat freed herself from him, Trebol stared in shock. "How? You shouldn't have been able to move!"

Kat took a few steps onto the roof and then turned to him. A few drops of goop fell from her soaked clothes and hair. "You seem to be forgetting just who I am," she reminded him. She lowered her gaze, shadows casting over the hollows of her cheeks. "Have you really gone senile that quickly?"

Trebol bit his lip so hard he might have ripped it right off. "I don't understand how a little brat like you could be in the top fifty," he hissed.

Putting her arm behind her back, Kat ignored the insult. "I'd like to introduce you to the two-finger practice rule," she stated. With her free arm, she held out two fingers. "My friend taught me this technique to heighten my general skills, but it's a nice little trick when I want to hold back."

Trebol charged again. Despite having the urge to dodge, Kat used her two fingers to parry each of his moves. When she saw the opening, she stabbed the front of his neck, taking all of his breath. He clutched his neck and stumbled backwards.

A slow, rhythmic clap pierced the air. "You've certainly learned well to use that in a fight." Kat glanced back to find Claire standing on the roof's edge. Her blonde, curly hair was speckled with blood and bits of dirt, but she seemed unharmed. Taking her blue eye from Kat, she looked to Doflamingo. "Do you remember me?" she asked.

He hovered over the surgeon, his foot caught by Staw Hat. A few seconds pause and then: "No, who the hell are you?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Claire's fingers glided along the scars of her face. The soft scar tissue twitched under her touch. After her initial meeting with Doflamingo, she buried herself in extensive training. A couple claws had scraped into her face, taking her left eye and most of her hair. The farthest right scar was a small hook into her nostril. "I think I know the problem," she murmured. She turned her untouched side to Doflamingo and softened her expression. Her crystal blue eye watched him cautiously. She knew she wasn't going to fight him right now, but she wanted to be prepared in case the shock prompted him to strike. "We met thirteen years ago," she stated. A slight breeze pushed her blonde curls over her shoulder. She added, "I believe the one you had beat me down was named Pica."

A few moments passed before the vein in Doflamingo's forehead rose to the surface and pulsed vigorously. "You're supposed to be dead," he hissed, grinding his teeth. He took a few steps back, no longer concentrating on Straw Hat. Everyone's eyes were on Claire.

She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "You should make sure that a person is dead before you leave the body," she suggested. She stepped down from the pillar and made her way towards the surgeon. Her stomach twisted at his battered condition. By the look of his wounds, she wouldn't be able to reattach his arm, and he would need a blood transfusion as soon as possible. But she put on a brave face and smiled at Straw Hat. "What's your name?" she asked, her voice as gentle as a morning breeze.

Taking his eyes from Doflamingo, he scanned Claire's face. He didn't flinch like most people did. "Luffy," he replied shortly. His eyes wanted to return to his enemy, but his mind wouldn't allow it.

She bowed her head. "Well, I'm glad to meet one of Little Law's friends."

A trembling hand clutched her ankle, and she looked down to Law. "Claire?" he panted. Tears welled at the corners of his eyes, and every breath he took sent a sharp pain through his body. "Is that really you?"

Kneeling down, Claire wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. "It's me, all right," she consoled. She kissed the top of his forehead. "I'll always be right here." As Law fought back sobs, she picked him up and carried him back to the edge. "Luffy, grab his arm and come with me. Kat-" she looked over her shoulder with her blind eye- "keep Doffy busy."

Kat gave an understanding nod and charged into Doflamingo's blind side, catching him off guard. She drew her sword and hopped closer to Claire, leaving no room for either Joker or Trebol to slip past. Luffy-though he seemed somewhat perturbed-and Claire started to walk back to the king's plateau, the ground floating up to make their path.

"Get back here!" Doflamingo shouted. He dashed forward and kicked out at Kat; she blocked with her forearm. Trebol's goop started to surround her feet, but it no longer held her down nor stuck to her. She spun to disorient Joker and slashed at his chest. He dodged and pushed back a few feet.

"Your fight is with Yuzuki," she spat. She slid her feet into a sturdier stance. "Or are you going senile and forgetting your feud, Uzuru?"

Doflamingo grit his teeth and pulled at his strings. "Don't ever say that name again!" he hollered. His strings sliced at Kat; only a few were able to make shallow cuts along her neck and cheeks. Trebol shot his goop bullets at her. One hit the top of her thigh, but she was able to dodge the rest.

Tired of him being in the way, Kat moved to Trebol's side and slashed into him. As blood seeped out of the new wound, his coat dissolved and became a part of the goop that he manipulated. His true appearance was emaciated compared to what he made people believe. His arms and legs were bone-thin, and his ribs were prominent like gills along his chest. "So this is what you really look like," Kat grunted in disgust.

The top of Trebol's staff became alight. "You seem to forget that my mucus is flammable!" he shouted. "I'm taking you down to Hell with me, Kat!"

As soon as Trebol touched the flame to the goop, the top of the palace was engulfed in an explosion. Doflamingo was able to jump out of the way of the explosion, but Kat knew she wouldn't be able to get the height in time. Instead, she sucked in her pride and pulled the stone over her like a blanket. For a few briefs seconds, the inside of the rock shell turned into a furnace, but as fast as it had become heated, it cooled down to a bearable warmth.

Landing on a pillar near the shell, Doflamingo watched as Kat emerged from the rock. "How the hell do you have Pica's fruit ability?" he growled. "Do you have some sort of copying fruit?"

Kat hoisted herself out and dusted herself off. "The copy fruit doesn't exist yet," she reminded him. "But when I die, I will become the tree to bear that fruit."

Doflamingo's stance straightened, and his expression turned curious. "So you're one of those devils I've heard so much about?" he inquired.

Picking up her sword, she examined the blade for any scratches. The sun glistened against its silvery side, but the purple side seemed to darken at the touch of sun. "That's exactly what I am," she answered.

A deep laughed emerged from his throat. The laugh carried through the wind across Dressrosa. "I'm going to have fun killing you and cultivating your fruit," he told her. His fingers twitched, and strings moved in a flurry around her.

Kat removed the hilt of her sword to reveal a bandage that held the long blade together. The cuts on her cheeks and neck healed up, and the spots of blood evaporated from her skin. The wound at the top of her shoulder closed up, and even the goop bullet removed itself from her leg, healing the wound with its exit. "I'm tired of entertaining you," she explained. The gentle breeze across the palace roof was replaced by a hurricane-like gust. She was moving so fast that Doflamingo's human eyes could only see a blurry form of where she was supposedly standing. His strings went limp and were carried away across the island.

The atmosphere calmed, and Kat now stood before him. "I think it's about time you let Uzuru get some sunlight."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The group hurried to find those with a fair amount of medical knowledge. When they found only two individuals among them, they scrambled to the ground in order to find more. Claire was just relieved no one was constantly bothering her as she attended to Law's injuries. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, King Riku, and the two assistants hung around, but they didn't breathe down her neck. "You may have the Ope Ope no Mi, but this arm has been removed for far longer than fifteen minutes. I'm afraid it's impossible to reattach it," she stated.

Law nodded. "I figured as much," he mused. He laid still on the ground, eyes away from her hands, as Claire cut away the dead tissue from his wound. The tissue may have no longer been useful to the body, but it still hurt to remove it once it was severed from its living counterparts. "What have you been doing all this time?"

Claire tilted her head as she recalled her adventures. "Well, I spent some time recovering at the Marine headquarters first," she told. "I took a real beating on that island. My legs were stiff for a few years afterwards, and I still can't move my neck as much as I used to."

Law's mouth turned down. "And how did the Marines treat you?"

"Quite fair," she answered. She knew he disliked Marines, so she tread lightly around the subject. "They bandaged me up, fed me, and let me go when I asked." When she finished cleaning his wound, she rubbed his side and kissed his forehead. "Did my father treat you well while you stayed with him?" she asked.

He turned to her and smiled. "He was great," he admitted. One assistant handed Claire a package of gauze, and she began to wrap his new stub. "He let me perform my first surgery when my amber lead poisoning was completely cured." His eyes twinkled like bright stars.

"Did he let you into his personal library, too?" she asked.

Law nodded as she tied off his bandages. "I could have never imagined that he had all those books just by looking at his house," he commented. "And even your brother was really nice. He helped me with a bunch of my chores when I was busy."

A smile trickled on to Claire's face. "I'm glad you had so much fun. You really deserved it." She checked the site of the transfusion, unconcerned by the slight bruising. "You have about fifteen minutes before you can take this out, but otherwise you should be fine to move around some."

Law sat up and inspected his bandages. "You did a pretty good job."

"Like you, I grew up around medicine. It's in my blood to do well." The two laughed.

King Riku cleared his throat and scooched forward. Sweat covered his entire body, and his knees seemed as if they would break in his cross-legged position. "I don't mean to interrupt, but may I ask you a few questions, Claire?" he asked. She looked to him with kind eyes and nodded. "You said that you would be fighting Doflamingo-"

Her hand jerked up quickly. "Oh, no, no, no," she stopped him. "I won't be fighting anyone."

His brow furrowed. "Then who will?"

"Luffy will," she stated. "And a little bit of Kat, but I need someone to weaken him. He won't allow Uzuru to come out until he absolutely can't stop him."

"Uzuru?"

"The devil of the Ito Ito no Mi." She searched their faces and failed to find any note of understanding. "He's the spirit that resides in the fruit and gives Doflamingo his powers."

Luffy pushed between the assistants, sending medical supplies everywhere. "You mean there are people inside the fruits?" he squealed.

A throaty chuckle escaped from Claire, very different than her light-hearted giggle. "Not exactly. The devils aren't human. They are things created by complete concepts that utilize those concepts to enhance their natural abilities of having a physical form. Sometimes they'll talk with you inside your head, but otherwise they remain quiet and watch the world through your eyes," she explained.

His taut face relaxed, and his smile fell into a straight line. "And if they don't?" he asked.

"Depends. The devil might not be strong enough to contact the person, especially since the ability typically weakens the more the fruit is eaten. It could also be the devil has lost track of who they really are and no longer realizes that they once had a physical form." Luffy pulled away, head bowed.

Usopp sat forward. "So are you saying that Doflamingo might be… embodied by this even more powerful being?"

"Yes, but Uzuru will not have the same objective as Doflamingo," she answered. "Doflamingo is trying to kill everyone here, but Uzuru will only wish to seek out Yuzuki and kill her."

"Who's Yuzuki?" Zoro chimed in.

The canary landed next to Law and looked him over. Claire replied, "She's the devil of my fruit." As they stared at her, Claire leaned towards Luffy. "You can meet a real devil if you want," she added. His eyes lifted. "My friend at the palace needs assistance. She doesn't like fighting, and all I have had her do today is fight."

"When will I get to meet the devil?"

"She is a real devil," she told him.

He perked up and tipped his hat in a curt nod. "Sure," he replied, hopping to his feet. He ran to the edge of the roof and scanned the horizon.

"You don't have to go all the way-"

Luffy's arm stretched backwards and then shot forward to the palace. He grabbed onto a tall structure halfway there and catapulted himself across the island. Claire was going to tell him more of an action planned, but he escaped before she could really say much of anything. She removed a small Den Den Mushi from her satchel and dialed in a number. It rang a few times before an exasperated voice answered, "Yes?"

"Luffy-san will be taking over your fight with Doflamingo," she greeted. "He should be there in a few seconds." Curses from Doflamingo could be heard over the correspondence.

"Thank goodness," Kat breathed. "I'll leave as soon as he gets here." The speaker clicked to silence.

I know that Law keeps his arm in the manga, but I thought that there was no way that the arm could have been viable by the time he was able to reattach it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Citizens ran around the town in utter chaos. The birdcage seemed to be shrinking faster than it was, and everyone scrambled to the center. They climbed and crawled over one another and the rubble just to progress forward even an inch. Kat was exhausted, though. She sat on a crumbling rock in the main street. Her hair lay over her shoulders, released from the bun, and she stretched her chest to help her breathing. She removed her Den Den Mushi from her pocket and dialed Claire's number. The speaker rang much longer than usual before Claire answered. "Hey," Kat grunted. Her lungs pained as they filled with air. "I'm not going to make it to the Royal Plateau in time."

"That's fine," Claire responded. She was breathless, and her voice bounced as if she was running. "We're moving from there, anyways. I can meet you somewhere, and we can discuss a plan," she suggested.

"I'm in Main Street," Kat answered. "A little south of the cafe we were at earlier."

"Great! We'll head there and-" Kat's eyes moved to the sky as Claire continued to talk. Doflamingo and Luffy hovered in the air. Doflamingo was panting, and sweat formed a thin layer across his body. He gained a few mores bruises and cuts since she last saw him as well. Luffy, on the other hand, looked refreshed. His upper body was bloated and covered in a strange, intricate design of armament haki. Steam floated off of him like he was a steam engine. He pulled back for a punch, and his hand retracted into his arm.

"What the hell is this kid?" she breathed. She knew he was a rubber man from the beginning, but she never thought that rubber could take the forms he did.

"Kat? Are you okay? What's going on?" Claire shouted.

The punch flew, and Doflamingo seemed disappointed at this anticlimactic straight hit. A simple dodge, and he would have been able to move out of its way and strike the wide open Luffy. Then the fist began to twist and turn, almost as if it was guided by an invisible hallway. The punch made contact, and Doflamingo slammed into Main Street.

Kat held the receiver up to her mouth. "Don't come to Main Street," she told Claire. Her eyes roamed what she could see of the city. "Send every strong and able-bodied person to push back the walls of the birdcage. Then place Law somewhere near but out-of-sight of Doflamingo."

"What about the sick and injured?" Claire asked.

"Put them on any street parallel to Main Street but not too close to the birdcage, either." Doflamingo rose from the impact spot and let the earth fall from his pink feather coat. "And call your husband to tell him how much you love him." Kat hung up and placed the Den Den Mushi back into her pocket. She made sure it was secure before heading forward.

The rubble of the street and the buildings turned to string and hurried to meet Luffy in the air. "In rare occasions, one's abilities 'awaken' and begin to affect, not just the body, but the surroundings as well!" Doflamingo preached. A wild stare fell upon his eyes.

Chaos died down as Riku's voice came over the island. Kat figured he was giving a word of hope to his people, but she was too preoccupied with the two to listen. She watched every move they made, looking for any opportunity to interfere or to find some pattern to their madness. Before she could even dive in, Luffy's head sank back into his shoulders and dove straight for Doflamingo. His head pushed defensive strings out of the way, and he sent his opponent flying into the cliffside of the Royal Palace. Kat hurried over to where she thought Luffy might fall.

People cheered, but the birdcage remained standing over them like a vigilante. Luffy pushed through the air, readying a strike. They both knew what it meant. His elevation decreased rapidly, and he hit the wall at a deflated, unprotected state. He tumbled to the ground before his shocked audience.

Kat dashed through the crowd, one hand at the ready on her sword. Main Street erupted. Burgess leaped down from above, and a roar of laughter erupted from Doflamingo. Citizens scurried off, bewildered as to where they could truly be safe. "Shitty ass pirate," she cursed. "He probably didn't even train in the New World."

Gladiators surrounded Luffy, but Kat forced herself to the front. She stared down Burgess and Doflamingo, unwavering. The air calmed, and tension began to seep into the space between them. "Go to the edges of the birdcage," she demanded of the gladiators. "I can take these two easily, but everyone there could use all the help they can get." She drew her sword, and the gladiators backed away without any questions. They all knew they shouldn't object her word. "How much time do I need to buy, Luffy?"

Burgess rushed her, and the sword hummed in her hands. When she was preparing an attack, a black figure dashed out in front of him and knocked Burgess to the side. "Sabo!" Luffy shouted.

"Luffy! How many minutes?" Kat spat. She side-stepped out of Sabo's way.

"10 minutes," Luffy panted. "Then my haki will have returned."

Kat rested the back of her sword on her shoulder and sauntered over to Doflamingo. "That'll be more than enough." She took a rubber band from her wrist and tied her greasy hair into a bun. With how ruthless he was, Doflamingo would try to rip out her hair if it meant getting the upper hand.

Her opponent chuckled. "You really think that you can stop me?" The rocks and rubble around them turned into strings and started for Kat.

"Of course," she assured. Her head tilted as a smirk grew on her lips. "You were spouting things about having 'awakened powers' a little while ago. Or did I mishear what you were saying?"

"Oh, you heard right," he answered. He leaned forward, and the strings slithered across the ground, chasing her ankles. He readied his hands to pounce. "It must be terrifying to know that you have such a powerful enemy in front of you."

"There's a reason why you only ranked one hundred seventy-third on the list," she told him. She stopped a fair distance from him and lazily looked at her fingernails. "Would you like to hear it?"

"Entertain me."

Her eyes moved to meet Doflamingo's gaze. "You see, you only think you know what an awakened state is. All this-" She gestured to the strings around her. "You could have easily done this from the beginning. Anyone that eats the Ito Ito no Mi could, but because you only recently discovered it, you think that you awakened something in your ability."

Doflamingo's smile fell. "And how would I know if I awakened something?" he asked flatly.

Kat placed her hand over the center of her chest. "You feel it here," she explained. "You'll feel a power growing within you that feels like it will rip your body in half."

"And how would you know?" he sneered. "You're an actual devil, completely different than the fruit."

She took a few steps forward, her finger held up in scolding. "Not necessarily. We awaken when we get out horns. Then our true strength emerges." The strings shot for her ankles, but an invisible barrier kept them at bay. They flattened against its surface and climbed upwards to find an opening. "And do you want to hear something even more interesting?" she asked, her expression innocent.

"You'll get flatter-chested when you get older?" he guessed.

Kat entered a seething rage. Her hands clenched tight, and her posture went rigid. The strings around her vaporized, and she wore the scowl of a territorial wolf. "I'm going to rip you to pieces," she threatened.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The fight was one sided; anyone could see it. Both fighters sustained injuries from each other, but there was a hint in the way both of them moved. The gash on Kat's shoulder reopened, and she favored her left foot. Doflamingo had hit her, but only because she let him. The fight would have been over long before then if she didn't.

Doflamingo was not much worse off than Kat, but he continued to strain to keep up with her movements. A long cut found its way to his taut cheek, and the strings that held his organs together were close to disappearing. He was hunched over, almost gasping for air. "All that," he panted, "for one little comment about your chest?"

Kat sheathed her sword and checked the sky. The birdcage hadn't closed in on them yet, but it was close. Its estimated time of closure had long passed, and now everyone was waiting on Luffy to fully recover. "I don't care about that comment anymore," she replied. Her gaze returned to him. "I don't like people calling me out on it, but after I broke your ribs, I was just stalling for time." She limped forward. Small shots of pain shot up from her ankle each time she put weight on it. "But tell me: Are you starting to feel that gnawing at the back of your head? Is Uzuru trying to get out yet?"

Hands clasped over his ears, Doflamingo shook his head violently. "No, stop it," he hollered. "I'm not going to let you in my head." His wrist flicked forward, and strings rushed around the street in an unorganized pattern. A cluster headed towards Kat, aiming for her head.

Instead of evading or countering the attack, Kat kept forward at her pace. The strings closed in on her but halted mere inches from her face. She was briefly shaded from the sun as Luffy flew over her in Fourth Gear. He followed the punch he threw at Doflamingo, and the two went at it just as they had before.

A long breath of air escaped from Kat. A quick, floating feeling came over her, and then she found herself standing before Trafalgar Law. He was leaned up against a deteriorating chimney, and Viola and Rebecca flanked his side.

Her stomach tumbled. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Luffy?" she scolded.

The corner of his mouth tipped up into a smirk. "I was going to treat your wounds, but I can put you right back down there," he retaliated.

Kat ignored him and scanned what was left of Dressrosa. "Do you know where Claire is?" she asked.

Law nodded. "I think I can place you next to her," he answered.

Kat shook her head. She placed her back to the chimney and slid down to sit next to him. She propped her injured foot up on a loose brick. "No, thanks. Is she close to here, though?" She pulled off her jacket and wrapped it around her shoulder wound again.

"She's a couple blocks over and north a bit," he answered. He pressed his back flat against the chimney to sit up straighter and turned to her. "You should let me take care of your injuries," he suggested.

Law's hand moved to pull back the jacket, but Kat swatted him away. "It's not to be rude, but I don't like people touching me," she told him.

"But-"

"I'll be fine. I just need to rest." She was pale, drained of energy, and her eyes were bloodshot.

Law's hand retracted to rest at his side. A silence set in between them as they watched Luffy and Doflamingo. Kat rubbed at a knot in her upper thigh, Viola frequently checked her bandaged hands, and Rebecca tipped forward several times as if she was going to faint.

"How long have you known Claire?" Law piped up.

Kat shifted towards him. "About four years," she stated.

"So you wouldn't know anything about her, say… Thirteen years ago?"

Her eyes slid over to him. "This wouldn't have anything to do with her faking her death, would it?"

"Thirteen years ago, I saw her and a man named Rocinante die. Now that I know she's alive, I have a lot of questions that need answers," he explained. A tone of dissatisfaction hung at the end of his sentence.

"Then ask her yourself. It's not my right to tell you anything about what I know," she sneered.

Law bit his lip and turned back to watching Luffy. Luffy prepared for a strike while Doflamingo put up a web of defensive strings. Law picked up a stray stone and gripped it tightly. Luffy's attack was much larger this time. His arm was at least three times his size, and his body strained to hold him together. Even Doflamingo seemed to doubt how well his defenses would hold up against this. The Straw Hat captain let his punch fly, and it shattered through the strings like glass. His fist slammed into Doffy's head. With the sheer force of the punch, Doflamingo was hurled deep into the island.

A calm fell over the island as Luffy's eyes closed. He fell through the air until Law switched him with the rock he held. The birdcage fell from the sky, and the island erupted into cheers.

Kat rose and hobbled to the edge. Her eyes scanned the streets. "You're going to want to get to the edge of the island," she told the group.

They stared at her. Law wouldn't be able to move Luffy much because of his injuries, and Rebecca and Viola were already exhausted. "What's going on?" Rebecca asked in a shaky voice.

"The devil inside of Doflamingo will take over his body and scour this entire place for Claire." She turned back to them and frowned. "You won't want to get caught in their crossfire unless you wish to be completely obliterated."

Viola jumped to her feet and rushed to Kat's side. "What are you talking about?"

"Each fruit contains a devil," she started. Though Viola swooped down into her line of vision, Kat's eyes refused to move from the streets. "Some devils are strong enough to take control of the user's body and do whatever they want to do. It just so happens that Doflamingo's and Claire's devils despise each other."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The celebration was short-lived. A disturbing quiet fell upon the island as all the citizens stared at the new terror. Only a small tremor was what alerted them. A giant hand clutched the edge of the hole Doflamingo had fallen into. It had crushed a few buildings in its wake but that was not what made everyone terrified. The hand had no flesh to it whatsoever. It was made entirely of tightly bound strings. The strings were clear, creating a shine of blues and reds from the sun.

Everyone screamed and hurried for the ports in mass panic. They scraped and clawed at one another just to increase their speed. They all thought Doflamingo wasn't defeated yet, for those were surely his strings. They had no knowledge of Uzuru's existence.

The rest of the body soon came after the hand. A faceless monstrosity rose from the hole and stepped onto the level ground, shaking the entire island. The head moved from side to side in search of someone and cast a long shadow over the entire island. It turned and turned in hopes of seeing its target.

"What the hell is that?" Law shouted.

Law, Kat, Rebecca, and Viola stood on a stone slab that moved along the ground. Kat sat and concentrated most of her energy into moving it so quickly to the ports. Law was thankful that they all could rest, but he was concerned Kat was exerting more energy than she was leading on. "That is Uzuru," she answered, her voice soft and parched. She looked over her shoulder to glance at Law. "From what I've been told, he likes to do this to intimidate his opponents." Her eyes moved from Law to every rooftop in sight. With Claire only having been a few blocks away from where they were initially, she couldn't have been very far. She wouldn't have been surprised if her devil took over already and was roaming the streets. "I just hope they don't start right away," she added.

"Claire would want to reduce the casualties as much as she possibly could," Law interjected. "She wouldn't start until most everyone is evacuated."

Kat locked on to a lone figure atop the corner of a building. They stood as stiff as a board, facing the string monster, and appeared to have the same silhouette as Claire. "That would be _if_ she was fighting," she shot back. "Claire won't be fighting that thing."

"Who will be?" Rebecca asked.

A flash of movement caught their eyes. The silhouette was gone, but Uzuru smashed a building to pieces and sent debris flying towards them. A stone wall rose behind them to meet the rubbage and block it. "We need to get out of here right now," Kat said. She turned forward, and the stone platform beneath them moved faster.

As they made their way to the port, Viola and Rebecca scooped up the injured and slow-moving and let them rest on the platform. Their speed decreased when they approached the loading ships. Kat stepped off the platform first and moved to the marines. They were ushering scared citizens on to their ships and tending the injured. With high tensions and mumbled curses, gladiators and pirates helped those having trouble.

Kat walked to Vice Admiral Bastille and smiled. "How have you been?" she asked.

He paused in giving his directions to inspect her. A slight smile of recognition played on his face, and he gave her a tight hug. "It's good to see you-dara," he exclaimed. "Are you here to help-dara?"

She nodded, and her mouth become a tight, straight line. "I know what will be happening here in the next couple of hours," she admitted. "I know I'm asking a lot for you to blindly trust me, but you need to do exactly as I say as fast as you possibly can."

Bastille paused. The muscles under his mask twitched in thought. "I know you are Admiral Yukimura's daughter, but I'm not sure I can trust you with that amount of authority-dara," he admitted.

Kat squinted at him. She wondered how much she could push him before he either arrested her or gave in. Standing straighter, she held her chin up high. "Are you questioning my knowledge about my own kind?" she accused.

Bastille flinched back. "No, that's not it at all-dara!"

The sword by Kat's side hummed, tickling her to be unsheathed. "Then what? Are you questioning how well my parents have educated and trained me? You and I both know that my father won't let anyone get away with doubting his abilities in anything." She hated seeing Bastille back down before her, his head bowed and turned to the side.

"I'm sorry-dara," he whispered. "With your father's worsening condition, I think we're all still on edge-dara."

A strike of pain ran through Kat's heart. The last episode her father had, he had to be held in a cell for three days and heavily sedated. She figured he must have exponentially regressed if Bastille was mentioning it. "I understand, but my father and his health are very different than my calculations of what will happen if we don't hurry," she reminded him. "So will you please accept my commands?"

Bastille's gaze moved to Kat, and he poked his finger into her upper sternum. "If anyone dies because of your plan, then I will have you arrested-dara." Kat nodded. "So what do we do first-dara?"

"Open all ships to everyone, including pirates. We can use a temporary pardon to bargain with them," she ordered. Bastille stared at her, baffled. "If we use only marine ships, there won't be enough space for any crew to even sail each ship. And the pirates all need to restock before they even leave, so they wouldn't be able to take the citizens hostage," she explained.

Bastille crossed his arms and thought about this command for a while. Soon, he shook his head for her to continue.

Kat moved around on her good leg, trying to keep an ample supply of blood flowing through it. "King Riku needs to speak with his people as soon as possible. I want you to pack him onto a ship as if he was a normal person and put Admiral Fujitora on that ship, too." He seemed to wonder why she wanted those two on the same ship, but he trusted her word anyways. "Once everyone is on, we need to sail everyone out a couple hundred meters in a large cluster. It'll be easier to protect everyone if we're all together."

"Is that all-dara?"

Kat nodded, then added, "Can I see a medic?"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Claire landed on a rooftop as light as a feather. No sound was made when she touched the stone nor was the dirt disturbed. The air around her remained calm. Her face kept its soft expression, with drooping, bored eyes and a flat-lined mouth.

But this was no longer Claire. She would have never looked upon anyone with bored eyes. The scars to grace her face were smoothed over with soft, flawless skin. Her sky blue eyes were painted with dark red irises. Long, blond curls were replaced by cropped, brown hair, and thin, feathery wings had sprouted from her back. This was Yuzuki.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" she whispered. Her voice was soft and floated up to Uzuru.

The strings of the monster snapped and unraveled. Uzuru stepped out of the hollow shell, and it fell to the ground. He was tall and hunched like Doflamingo. "Too long," his deep voice bellowed. The air was thick, holding the tension of both themselves and their users. "I have to repay you for turning me into one of those damned trees," he hissed.

Yuzuki looked over her pointed nails. "Repay me?" she questioned. "You're the one that betrayed me. I don't know why you're so angry."

"Because you're the one that turned me into one of those damned trees," he snapped.

"You cost me three hundred million berries and sixty-eight human slaves. Do you know how many devils would kill for that?" she retaliated.

"And I should have been the one to kill you for it," he hissed. His face tightened, and he dashed forward. His claws swiped at Yuzuki's face, but she shifted her weight and dodged his attack. She brought her knee up into his chest and pushed him back. Uzuru was winded for a few seconds, but he soon slowed himself with his strings and skidded to a stop.

His opponent wouldn't let him rest like that, though. As soon as he stopped, she was at his side and forced her palm hard against his ribs. Uzuru braced himself for the attack and scratched at her. He tore a gash just under her collarbone, and she leapt back out of his range. Yuzuki stood on the edge of the roof and placed her hand over the wound. "I'm surprised you couldn't do this sooner," she admitted. She took her hand away, and the injury had disappeared.

Uzuru knew his skill had greatly declined since he had last seen her. Doflamingo and many of his previous users kept him caged inside without seeing the light of day for centuries. But he figured the same happened with her. Her power alone was much greater than his, and she was nearly impossible to control.

"Come on, babe. Why are we even bothering with this child's play?" Yuzuki chided. A smile played on her lips, and something glittered in her eyes. For a second, he thought it was bloodlust. "Let's bring out our horns and beat the shit out of each other."

Uzuru wasn't sure he had the strength to pull out his horns, but as small, pointed stubs began to sprout from Yuzuki's forehead, he knew he didn't have a choice. When the skin first broke, he gritted his teeth. The thick, curved horns spiraled out and around his ears. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. His balance felt off, but he forgot what it was like to have such a great release of pressure. "Is this what you want, Yuzuki? To stare death in the eyes?"

Yuzuki wrapped her arms around Uzuru and held him gently. "We are immortal," she reminded him. "If either of us dies, we will just be returned to those fruits."

Uzuru grasped her hand. "Then let's have some fun before we go."

The two flew from each other, putting as much distance between them as possible. The string monster rose and perused through the alleyways. Uzuru hovered over the town on a bed of strings, combing over the ground the monster missed. He was determined to be the hunter instead of the hunted.

The string monster rose its arm and crushed the building in front of it. A blur dashed out of the falling debris, and the giant chased after it.

Uzuru watched vigilantly but turned when he felt a slight tug on his strings. Yuzuki stood before him, wings keeping her afloat, and a long, spiked tail pointed at him. "You really think I would run?" she inquired. Her tail rushed forward and struck Uzuru's leg. He cried out as the spikes took whole flesh chunks. He struggled to stand and move away. His bed of strings reached up to envelope him.

The strings wrapped around Yuzuki's arms and squeezed tightly. "You think this will stop me?" she chastised. The strings constricted tighter and tighter, and she could feel them move under her skin to the bone. She yanked herself forward once to dislocate the shoulders and then once more to rip off the arms completely.

As the torn skin began to regenerate a new arm, Uzuru emerged from the ball of his strings. His leg was completely healed, and he seemed to carry a new energy. "You were always so quick to sacrifice your limbs," he commented. Loose strings began to surround Yuzuki and narrowed her way of escape with each passing second.

She hurried around the field of strings, careful not to get wrapped in any of them. "And you were always the one to get ahead of yourself," she retaliated. Her right arm fully reformed, and she dashed forward. Her hand swiped upwards and clipped his jaw, and then she brought her fist back and into his chest. Uzuru stumbled backwards, and Yuzuki kicked him down.

Before he could move, Yuzuki slammed her foot into his sternum and crushed it. She continued to slam her foot into his chest until he couldn't breathe anymore. Uzuru's horns began to retract into his head.

Uzuru's silver hair started to fade to Doflamingo's golden locks. "I won't let you die, of course," Yuzuki stated. "Oh no, Uzuru. I'll let you rot in your user's body and let him rot in prison."

His lips curled as Uzuru gave one last sneer. Uzuru returned to Doflamingo, who slipped out of consciousness. Yuzuki lowered both of them to the level of the town and left the body in an open space for the marines.

Yuzuki looked around one last time before returning to Claire. She was glad she was able to see the crystal blue sky on a day as clear as that one.


End file.
